Brian Hazelby plays Roland piano
Brian Hazelby
June 3rd 2006
Brian Hazelby opened his concert on his Wersi Performer organ with a lively quickstep medley and Big Band sounds, the opening number being Let's Face The Music And Dance. This he followed with A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square set nicely to a blue background by Keith.
A beautiful rendition of Danny Boy (or Londonderry Air) followed, using the panflute, strings & oboe, this time set to a green backdrop. Who could forget Herp Alpert, the famous American music trumpeter, and his Tijuana Band, giving us many popular tunes such as Spanish Flea, Up Cherry Street & last but not least Tijuana Taxi.
Jerome David Kern (1885-1945) was a very prolific American composer, with Brian playing us that lovely tune, using organ voices, Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man Of Mine from "Showboat" written in 1927, considered to be his greatest work. Strings, harmonica & the guitar came to the fore with Stranger On The Shore.
Time to give the organ a rest and go over to the Roland FP2 piano for Brian to delight us with a selection of evergreens, i.e. Somewhere Over The Rainbow - The Very Thought Of You - Blue Moon - Wonderful You & All The Things You Are. Most enjoyable, Brian. Staying with the piano Brian then played us his own arrangement of George Gershwin's I've Got Rhythm.
Despite two marriages and being the father of some 20 children, J.S. Bach (1685-1750), still had time to be a most prolific composer, many requiring some nifty fingerwork! Brian delighted us with a selection of some of his music on his Wersi Performer Organ, recreating the sounds of that baroque/classical era, including the sounds of the harpsichord.
To round off the first half, we heard the Stars & Stripes March by Sousa. Before we could partake in refreshments, Brian played and the audience sang "Happy Birthday" to Dennis our "chairman", 81 years young, who does a great job on each concert night putting out and collecting the chairs for the audience.
Our background was in the shape of a huge triangle, giving Keith ample variations for his lights, so with Brian recalling times when he worked on both the Mauritania and the Queen Mary cruise ships, the second half opened with a selection of sea shanties What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor? - The Tammy Shanter and the Sailor's Hornpipe, Keith recreating the green & blue shades of the sea, before going 'blue' again for the theme music from Dr. Who, which was next on Brian's list of tunes.
Something classical once more, Cellabon by the German composer Haendel, who actually lived longer in England than in his homeland! Some more big band sounds & Doodah voices for The Best Is Yet To Come and I'm Beginning To See the Light. From My Fair Lady the beautiful tune I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face.
Brian then asked the audience to match that tune to the pianist, so Billy Mail looked in with Marigold, Charlie Kunz with Ramona, Joe Henderson with Trudie, Gladys Mills with For Me And My Girl, Side Saddle with Trevor Stamford (Russ Conway) and Albert Semprini with Old Ones, New Ones to name but a few. Next the Alligator Crawl recorded in 1936 by Fats Waller and Ain't Misbehaving!
A blue background with the sun was very appropriate for Early In The Morning (this a tribute to the Hammond Organ), continuing with So What's New? Some Country & Western in the shape of Crazy before turning to the theatre organ with Stars In Alabama, Ship Ahoy (All The Nice Girls Like A Sailor!), Who's Your Ladyfriend?, Let's All Go Down To The Strand before finishing with I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside.
Brian gave us a highly entertaining concert played in a laid back and relaxing style. For his encore, he chose Cole Porter's From This Moment On.
Why not come along to a Basildon Keyboard Club Concert, you will be made very welcome, have a great evenings entertainment, a complimentary cup of tea or coffee with biscuits and of course experience the delights of live music played on top of the range electronic organs & keyboards by the best players.